Wednesday, July 31, 2013

EILEEN
FISHER, the American brand known for beautifully simple
clothes, officially opened the doors of its second store in Canada at Calgary’s Chinook Centre this weekend.

Blending trends and timelessness, Eileen Fisher is a designer known for
creating fashion without an expiration date. She is excited about
bringing the company’s design values to Calgary.
Fisher started her company in 1984, with a design philosophy rooted in
simplicity and ease. She has been deeply inspired by Japanese design and by
fabrics from around the world, particularly those that are artisanally
made.

“There are several reasons EILEEN FISHER chose to expand to Calgary,” explains Catherine Claman, founder and President of Se Ce Apparel Co. Ltd., Canadian distributor of the brand.
“We were struck by the focus on quality of life in Calgary and see a synergy between the ease, functionality and
simple elegance of Eileen Fisher’s clothes and the relaxed Calgarian
lifestyle. The brand has been so well received in Vancouver, and Calgary is a
great next step in our Canadian retail expansion plan!”

“We’re very excited to deepen our
relationship with the Canadian customer by opening our second EILEEN FISHER store in Calgary with our partners, Se Ce Apparel Co. Ltd.,” says Karen Gray, EILEEN FISHER’s Director of Retail and Global Development. “Known
for its natural beauty and quality of life Calgary
provides a wonderful lifestyle for residents and it is a destination for
tourists. We are looking forward to joining and contributing to this
vibrant community."

A grand opening event aimed at fueling
awareness and raising funds for the Calgary
chapter of the Women in Leadership Foundation will take place in-store on
September. Full details about the event and charity partnership to be announced
soon.

About EILEEN FISHER:

EILEEN
FISHER creates beautifully simple clothes designed to
move with real life. With pure shapes and fine fabrics, it creates
sophistication, comfort—and style that lasts. As a socially conscious
company, the brand supports social initiatives that empower women around the
globe. For more information, please visit eileenfisher.com.

Thank you Sarah Geddes (Sass Communications) for providing the info and press release.

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I will be traveling to the west coast
next week for the Men’s Fashion Week in Vancouver. It’s my first men’s fashion focused show in Canada,
and perhaps the only one in the nation. It definitely got me curious when I
first received an invite since I had no prior knowledge that Men’s Fashion Week even existed in Canada.
After speaking with Jun Ramos, the founder
and creative director of Vancouver Men’s
Fashion Week this season marked its 3rd year anniversary. “I was
very surprised that there was no fashion week in Canada when I came here
12 years ago”, said Ramos. “I found
that there was no balance in the representation of men’s wear designs, so few
years back I had an idea to start our own men’s fashion week”.

Like everything else in the Canadian
fashion industry, the major obstacle is funding. Certainly this was the same
challenge for Vancouver Men’s Fashion
Week. However, Ramos was able to recruit corporate sponsors including ING-direct, his
own company Ramos & Fortier Ltd,
and other small businesses to build this event. “Vancouver’s Men’s Fashion Week is one of the first MFW's, even before
London’s Men’s Fashion Week. Our goal here is to give our Canadian fashion
designers the appropriate platform to showcase their talents, but also provide
them the needed mentorship to bring their designs into the fashion market”, Ramos added.

In addition to Canadian fashion
designers, Vancouver Men’s Fashion Week
welcomes the participation of other international talents. With the experience
from the past men’s fashion weeks, the subsequent seasons will only get better.
Ramos believes that in order for Vancouver
or even Canadian fashion programs to succeed, government involvement to provide
funding to fashion graduates would benefit greatly. The public sector should
also work together to build a relationship between buyers and fashion
designers. After all, local fashion industry will never survive without the
monetary contribution from merchants and retail businesses. Ramos said hosting the men’s fashion week
during the first week of August was intended to accommodate potential buyers
who would come to north of Vancouver for merchandizing in the 2nd
week of August.

Not knowing what to expect with my
first men’s fashion week experience in Vancouver, I am thrilled to see what our
Canadian designers have to offer to the men’s focused fashion. I guess I will
have to find out on August 10th
at the W BuildingVancouver.
One thing for sure though, the Canadian fashion scene is expanding – Ramos will be hosting Men’s Fashion Week media event in London,
UK in early 2014 (more info on that will be coming soon). Stay tuned for
more of Binzento’s coverage of Vancouver Men’s Fashion Week, and also
two of the featured Canadian fashion designers that will be showcasing their
collections at the shows.

Monday, July 29, 2013

After triumphing over catastrophic setbacks, three freshmen in fashion - Jorge Calderon, Ryan Bruchlmann and Rick Taylor - are poised to revolutionized style with their Toronto-based label, FERKNOT.

Initially specializing in bespoke tailoring, FERKNOT is presenting major growth in North America, now offering standard-sizes for both men and women in a diverse collection of garments. They are also expanding from within and fostering their name through sound leadership, publicity and marketing. Currently, FERKNOT is in the midst of launching a number of promotional events, including pop-up shops set for autumn of this year. "We took a lot of risks to get here," reveals president and co-founder Jorge Calderon, "But we anticipated success given the strength of our brand and the quality of our product." From their online store they continue to develop through experience, setting sights on eventually opening their own flagship store.

FERKNOT's yacht club placard has become their signature image but it has not always been smooth sailing for the trio. "We were blindsided," recalls co-partner Rick Taylor, as he recounts the flood that swept through Bangkok, destroying the company’s Thailand warehouse. The devastation led all of their investors to jump ship, leaving the company staring into the abyss. Still, the partners persevered with youthful resiliency, combining Jorge’s talent for brand management and Ryan and Rick’s backgrounds in finance. “We had to ride the wave and start over from scratch,” explains Calderon. In less than three years, FERKNOT has not only managed to regain the momentum it lost, but used this setback as a building block to a stronger partnership.

FERKNOT's ability to take hard hits and recover with ferocity gives it an edge where other companies may fall short. The entrepreneurs' themselves prove they are truly the embodiment of the FK image - determined, confident and assertive. FERKNOT is not only about Canadian fashion; it's about molding a generation who embark on each day with confidence in who they are, where they're going, what they have and what they want. FERKNOT demonstrates that accepting failure and having the willpower to see beyond it, is the key to success. Simply put, FERKNOT is about igniting ambition with style.

FERKNOT Backgrounder

Best friends and Western University classmates Jorge Calderon, Ryan Bruehlmann and Rick Taylor founded FERKNOT, pronounced with a silent ‘K,’ in 2011. The three partners saw an opportunity in made-to-measure clothing and fashioned the label from the bottom-up. The young and ambitious embodies style with conviction for every occasion. Those who fit FERKNOT vision are the first to seize the day and the last to toast the night goodbye. FERKNOT is the man who runs an empire and the woman who captivates an audience. Their clothing currently retails online at www.ferknot.com. You can also access their content at www.facebook.com/FERKNOT.

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